We are an Operation Encompass School

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as Key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved. At Teignmouth Primary School the Key Adult is Mrs Fleming.

Information is shared with a school’s Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead or Officer) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

Children are negatively impacted by experiencing domestic abuse and without early intervention and support this negative impact can last through a child’s life course. Domestic abuse can impact upon social, psychological, physical, emotional and behavioural outcomes with an often negative impact upon a child’s academic success. Experiencing domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience.

Operation Encompass aims, by directly connecting police and schools, to secure better outcomes for children, to enable schools to better understand the impact living with domestic abuse has upon children, to help schools to better understand a child’s lived experience and to therefore be able to support and nurture each child, making a child’s day better and giving them a better tomorrow.

The aim is to have Operation Encompass in every force, in every school, for every child no matter where they live. It is simply every child’s right.

Safeguarding at Teignmouth Primary School is considered everyone’s responsibility and as such our school aims to create the safest environment within which every pupil has the opportunity to achieve their Five Outcomes. TCS recognises the contribution it can make in ensuring that all pupils registered or who use our school feel that they will be listened to and appropriate action taken. We will do this by working in partnership with other agencies and seeking to establish effective working relationships with parents, carers and other colleagues to develop and provide activities and opportunities throughout our curriculum that will help to equip our children with the skills they need. This will include materials and learning experiences that will encourage our children to develop essential life skills and protective behaviours.

We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection and Safeguarding policy. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. All school staff are trained in Child Protection, and children are made aware of the adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. Staff are trained to look out for signs of physical/emotional harm or neglect and are required to report these to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL),or if unavailable, other members of the safeguarding team.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies, when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.

The Devon Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) can be contacted on 0345 155 1071 or emergency out of hours on 0845 6000 388, email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk

We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism.

Our School Governor with a safeguarding responsibility is Martin Veasey.

All members of the safeguarding team can be contacted via the school office.

For more information about Safeguarding at Teignmouth Primary, please email claire.fleming@teignmouthschool.co.uk

Our trust Child Protection and Safeguarding policy can be found by clicking here.

To read the DfE Keeping children safe in education guidance click here